11 buried by landslide in Agusan del Sur at height of typhoon; 4 bodies recovered

The bodies of four of the 11 landslide victims are recovered in Barangay Kioya, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur after  Typhoon Odette lashed across the province and other parts of the Visayas and Mindanao. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR – Eleven members of a family in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur were buried by a landslide as they were heading to an evacuation center on Thursday amid the onslaught of Typhoon Odette.

According to Rolando Buag, head of the town’s emergency operations center, the incident happened in Barangay Kioya.

The victims were first hit by a fallen Balite tree and then buried by the onrush of loosened soil, Buag added.

Among those buried was a 6-month-old infant.

Only one member of the family survived as he first cleared an uprooted tree that almost fell into their house. The decision to evacuate was triggered by this incident.

The man, according to Buag, was at first clueless about the fate of his family who was not around the evacuation center when he arrived there.

He went back several times to their community to look for them. On Friday, he asked the help of barangay officials to look for his family. They discovered a foot protruding from a mound and started digging.

The bodies of four fatalities have so far been recovered –  Pirelyn C. Sanico, Proylan A. Cabalquinto, Pejie A. Cabalquinto, and Arvie A. Cabalquinto.

Still missing Jaypol M. Sanico, Ploralyn A. Cabalquinto, Babyjane A. Cabalquinto, Robert A. Cabalquinto, Zachary Peljay C. Sanico, Ziariah C. Sanico, and Prince Rendel C. Calang.

Sibagat Mayor Maria Liza Evangelista has enlisted the help of rescuers from the provincial government.

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